Gina Raimondo Turns Back Liberal Challenge in Rhode Island Governor's Primary

[Scurrilous]

Source: NY Times

"Gov. Gina Raimondo of Rhode Island defeated a liberal challenger in a Democratic primary election on Wednesday, according to The Associated Press, reasserting herself as the party’s leader in a state where she has battled criticism from activists on the left and intransigence from old-guard lawmakers in her own camp."

<snip>

"Ms. Raimondo’s primary challenger, Matt Brown, attempted to channel the energy of the populist left, portraying her as overly close to powerful financial interests. Mr. Brown, a former Rhode Island secretary of state, collected endorsements from activist groups on the left, such as Justice Democrats and Our Revolution, a committee aligned with Senator Bernie Sanders of Vermont.

But Mr. Brown’s populist message failed to deliver an upset against a well-funded incumbent who is one of just two female Democratic governors in the country. (Kate Brown of Oregon is the other.)"

Read more: https://www.nytimes.com/2018/09/12/us/politics/gina-raimondo-rhode-island-primary.html

[iluvtennis]

1. As long as it's a Dem, I'm cool. nt

[Beartracks]

3. This!

Hope this primary doesn't end up with Democrats forming another circular firing squad.

========

[David__77]

2. 56%-34%.

He sounds like a good candidate. Maybe next time.

[Cha]

4. "Complicating matters for both parties, Joe Trillo, a former Republican state legislator who chaired

Mr. Trump’s campaign in Rhode Island, is also running for governor as an independent."

Don't see how that would effect Gov Raimondo, though.

Thank You, Scurrilous

[Scurrilous]

6. ...

[alp227]

8. Maine knows.

Unusual for a northeastern blue state, Maine twice elected (R) Paul LePage...because of a spoiler independent candidate who polled well enough to deny the (D) vote a plurality.

[Honeycombe8]

5. Maybe being a woman is the biggest factor for Democrats in the mid-terms?

Very interesting. I hope Rhode Islanders go for her!

[Hortensis]

10. She's the incumbent governor, but apparently

not in as strong a position as might be.

Florida could have elected its first woman governor, a candidate with strong state government experience, establishment support and funding who was expected to win the Democratic primary handily, but instead voters fairly narrowly chose a black male mayor they hadn't heard of, Andrew Gillum, who ran on a more aggressively liberal message.

Male? Black? Promising stronger liberal changes? Seen as not establishment like her even if he is? All the above except/including gender?

Likely people were voting dissatisfaction, i.e., for change, and his change trumped her change. Notably, this allowed many men to have change and still keep a man in office.

[Gothmog]

7. Our Revolution loses another race

[Hortensis]

9. Misleading coverage. Gov. Raimondo is socially liberal

and moderately conservative to moderately liberal economically.

The candidate from the populist left is initially described as liberal and may be, but he's not the only one in this race if so.

What bothers me is that the word liberal is often deliberately being misapplied, as this writer is doing, to the farther and often more radical left, excluding the vast majority of ordinary liberals and severely distorting its meaning. A fair portion of left-wing populists can actually be social conservatives (!); those are identifying left because they care about liberal economic programs that benefit people like them more than they worry about brown-skinned people. Bottom line, liberal does not equate to left-wing populist or any other group that not infrequently is in opposition to liberals and even liberalism itself.

[FSogol]

12. +1 n/t

[ehrnst]

14. +1000

There seems to be a group of people who seem to think that there can only be one "liberal" primary candidate, which then defines any any challenger as "corporatist" or "neocon."

I find that it's often the a female candidate who is thus smeared by a male candidate- and I think it may be because the way progressive women get things done - they work with those who can achieve the progressive goals, even if it's someone to the right of them.

Jacobin magazine - the far left screed - pointed out that women "don't get" that you are supposed to refuse to even talk to "the enemy" you are supposed to shut out anyone who is not walking lockstep with your agenda. You are supposed to rail against them until they submit to your way of doing things...

It's a microcosm of a cooperative, non-egotistical method that puts the goal first vs a very dominant authoritative ego-driven method that puts more value on rigidity of ideals than accomplishment of goals.

It's an updated, lefty male version of "she slept her way to the top." Especially when her male opponent has a rigid, domineering "my way or the highway" style.

The misogynist vitriol that I saw on the left - and right here on DU - against Hillary was exhibit one. Unless a woman has shown that she is in lockstep with a male far left politician, she will get the "corporatist shill" treatment.

Much like the treatment of Sarah Palin was on the right - she was only considered fit to sit at the table with powerful men because she was there supporting men, was angry about the issues that mattered to the men, and making sure she was getting their approval. Also, she was hot, and she gave those men who supported her "evidence" that they weren't misogynist or sexist at all.

[Hortensis]

15. Liberals "work with those who can achieve the progressive goals."

Yes! Almost a definition. Ability to respect and cooperate with others to achieve common goals is certainly a powerful characteristic of liberals, -- stronger in liberals than any other group.

You're so sadly right of course that women are demonized far more than men. Culture is enormously powerful.

But liberals again are far less prone than others because belief in equality is the single strongest, most defining characteristic of both liberal ideology and liberal personality. We're the equality people.

And, of course, we're the ones who are bravest and open-minded enough to be able to identify and tackle our problems instead of imagining attacking others is the solution.

Liberals need to know these things so we can know and object when we're being smeared. Meanness and stupidity can't be fixed, but ignorance can.

[NurseJackie]

11. Excellent!

[ehrnst]

13. "portraying her as overly close to powerful financial interests"

Historically, not a strategy that works when one is opposing a more qualified, more experienced liberal Democratic female candidate who is just inches to right of the one doing the accusing.

Not to mention that "corporate candidate" had the support of labor and Planned Parenthood: including

endorsements from the Democratic Party, Planned Parenthood and several unions, including the local chapters of the Service Employees International, Allied Craftsmen and Iron Workers and Bricklayers unions.

http://www.browndailyherald.com/2018/09/09/power-plant-divides-gubernatorial-candidates/

I have to wonder why so many Demcoratic women candidates who get the endorsement of Planned Parenthood, the Democratic Party and Labor are trashed as being "neocons" while male candidates who don't get those endorsments are still considered more "Liberal"or "Progressive."

Perhaps the smear of "corporatist" is the last resort against a progressive female candidate who has more money to work with?

[RhodeIslandOne]

17. Gina is not real popular with the teacher's union and state workers

Rhode Island is a mess fiscally and will be for a long time for many reasons. People coming in and trying to make tough decisions is not welcome. The State House is a joke, run not by people with ideas or convictions (well they may end up convicted) but a group of people who decided lining their pockets was good reason to become a public servant. Thank God the Republican Party is a mess here because the reps and Senators in power posing as Democrats are a disgrace to the party.

[ehrnst]

18. So you're saying Brown was right to say that she

isn't progressive, and is a corporatist?

If so, how do you explain the victory?

[RhodeIslandOne]

19. Not at all, but context is needed

Gina is not perfect. She’s a steady hand but in a state loaded with sharks her political game is not quite up to snuff when you have a House Speaker who’s as slick as goose shit undermining you and it’s why she’s still in danger in the general against, quite frankly, a subpar candidate. All I’m saying is when teachers in RI curse a Democratic Governor under their breath, it’s a problem.

As far as Matt Brown, well I don’t know what cave he emerged from, but most people in RI had forgotten he was a thing ten years ago.

[ehrnst]

20. So far as I know, no candidate is ever "perfect"

However it's considered a dealbreaker for women candidates who don't pay homage or defer to a male candidate/movement leader.

And apparently, for many on DU, and in Our Revolution, he was the second coming. Well, when compared to Gina, anyway.

[RhodeIslandOne]

21. He was?

I honestly saw nothing on DU talking about this race and other than a proliferation of signs on the East Side of Providence he had no buzz whatsoever of any one I talked to on the ground. Do you live in Rhode Island?

Look I gladly voted for Gina in the primary and will campaign for her in November so I don’t know what we’re going on about. I voted for Reghenburg over McKee for Lt Governor which was the extent of my “protest voting”, unfortunately he did not pull it out but whatever. That scare should be enough to keep McKee from daring to run for Governor.

[ehrnst]

22. Mea culpa - I was thinking twitter & FB

The Intercept did their usual hit job on Democrats with a record, as did Our Revolution.

I have family in RI, so I am familiar with the politics there.

[hack89]

16. Good. Gina is a good governor. Nt